Queensland amusement park near Poonamalle in Chennai, that finds itself in news quite often for untoward accidents, has been sitting on the temple lands belonging to Kasi Viswanathar Temple and Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple of Pappanchatram near Poonamalle in Kanchipuram district since its inception. The amusement park owner Selvaraj, popularly known as Oorvasi Selvaraj owing to soap-making business, had taken the land for lease in 1991 under the pretext of carrying out farming activities. However, he had violated the agreement by indulging in commercial activities.

Selvaraj founded Oorvasi Soap Company, Queensland and King’s Engineering College. He was the Vice President of South Chennai branch of Indian National Congress from 1990 to 1997. He was elected MLA from Srivaikuntam constituency in 2006. Back then, he was the third richest MLA in the assembly according to sworn affidavits next only to Karunanidhi and Jalalithaa. He died in 2009. His wife Nalini Selvaraj is prominent Christian evangelist.

The Kasi Viswanathar Temple and Sri Venugopalaswamy temple own 177.7 acres of land. The Queensland amusement park and the St. John’s International Residential School which is a kilometre away from Queensland are sitting on the lands owned by these temples which now remain in ruins while both the amusement park and the schools flourish.

In 2008, the local court ruled to a petition filed by the temple administration that the lessee had violated the lease agreement by indulging in commercial activities. An appeal against the court order was dismissed in 2013. The St. John’s school authorities were also a party to this suit.

In 1983, the Dasaprakash Group sought to buy the lands behind the 10 acres it had bought near the St John’s International Residential School. They had said that they would take the land on lease by paying the HR&CE department. The temple management had opposed the move then and filed a petition at the Madras High Court to which the Court struck down the Dasaprakash deal and ruled that the lands belonged to the temple post which the group sold off the land left the place.

However, the HR&CE department are yet to give the registration document of the temple lands to the temple management. Repeated reminders by temple caretakers have fallen on deaf ears.

The Queensland and St. John’s school had paid the lease rent in the first year to avoid paying taxes. However, they haven’t shed a dime ever since.

Meanwhile both the temples tell a tale of dismay. Swarajya as part of its heritage programme had published an article on the same detailing the poor conditions of the temple and the Gurukkals of the temple. The temple does not even have a compound wall now.

Plants are growing on the walls and ceiling of the temple. The walls are cracking and wearing away. Both the temples look dark inside with poor lighting.

Quoting the Gurukkals, it was reported that one of them drew a meagre ₹300 per month as salary from HR&CE and 5 years of arrears were still pending. Another Gurukkal gets ₹6000 from a devotee sabha along with ₹1000 as travel allowance. It was reported that there was not even enough income to offer cooked rice as neivedhyam (food offering) to the deity.

The temple earlier had two big mandapams within the premises to conduct marriages and other events. Today, there exists no sign of such big mandapams except for the damaged ruins of it. It is said that Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi Swamigal of the Kanchi Mutt used to stay in the temple premises atleast 15 days in a year. Today, goats and cows freely enter and wander around the temple. People come to the temple on days of Pradosham and other important festivals.

St. John’s International School and the Queensland Amusement Park are located on 177.7 acres of land that was originally 1500 acres bought by a zamindar named Venkaiah in the 19^th century. He had donated nearly 1000 acres of land where we have the Chembaramkkam Lake today. With the government gobbling the remaining as poromboke land, only 177.7 acres of the land remains which has also been encroached by Queensland and St. John’s School. The people of the area have stayed mum since some of their properties have also been located on temple lands.

The Gurukkals and the temple authorities hope that their efforts to retrieve the lands on which the encroachers now sit and mint money will help the temple have a decent income for poojas and maintenance.